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Q: It appears that all the vessels are running computer software programs. What are these programs used for, and how detrimental is it to the vessel if the system crashes? Who fixes it when it does crash?
A: We're running a navigation program called Nobletec. Some guys use the "Globe" system to mark our pots where we put them in the water. If the system crashes, it's devastating. But we always write down our numbers, the latitude and longitude, because our computers have crashed more than once. We become the self-certified computer technicians when that happens, and try to fix them ourselves as good as we can.
Q: How much has the price of diesel affected your operation?
A: Yeah, diesel prices were $2.65 a gallon when I left Alaska, and I think they've gone up, so it's really affected our bottom line. Seems the price of crab just stays pretty much where it's been for the last 20 years. The price for cattle has gone up more than the price of crab has. And that's why we're so grateful for people to realise how hard we work to catch the crab.
Q: Have crabs been fished by other means other than pots? Or is that governed by Alaska Fish and Game?
A: I've heard of crab being fished with nets before, but we've always used pots and that's what the regulations have been. They have been caught in trawls, but that's catching them by accident.
Q: Is the Time Bandit the most luxurious crab boat out there?
A: Well, I'd say we all have really nice boats. The Cornelia Marie is really nice, the Northwestern is a beautiful boat. But we're right up there too, as one of the nicer boats. But all three of these boats are top notch, well taken care of boats. Beautiful. It's like being at home. We have a dishwasher, regular mattress beds, posturepedic mattresses. And the sauna! There you have it.
Q: On average how much time do you spend in the grocery store?
A: Unfortunately, it takes about three hours to do all that shopping. That's why we run as fast as we can, and we've been shopping for so long that we're lucky we have it down to three hours! We get everything that you can throw off those shelves: magazines, steaks, produce, slippers, chocolate, you name it. When you're out on the ocean, you don't have a second chance to drive back to the store, so you have to make it count. And they get real grumpy when you forget the milk. We've done that, and forgotten coffee. Oh yeah. Yelling at everyone for forgetting the coffee. We had to drink tea.
Q: How do you keep the water in your four-person jacuzzi that you supposedly have on board?
A: We actually have a sauna on the boat. We don't have a jacuzzi, just a two-man sauna. And believe me, it's as nice as a four-man jacuzzi when it's 40 below!
Q: Greg from the Farwest Leader had his wife with him on his last trip fishing. Has your wife ever accompanied you on one of the crab fishing trips?
A: No, my wife has accompanied me on salmon trips, but never on the crab boat. This is one of our superstitions that we don't take women on the boat for crab fishing. Nothing personal on the women! Guys usually just start fighting over the girls. You're at sea for three months, and the captain's got his wife there and is getting some lovin', and the rest of the crew gets jealous. That's probably where the superstition came from.
Q: Do you ever play pranks on the crew if they start to whine too much for no reason?
A: Oh yeah! We've played pranks like setting the clocks back, tying a string to their foot, throwing a bucket overboard, taking the airhorn and blowing it right in their ears when they're sleeping. You have to use all your years of captaining to know you're not going to get punched when you do it! You use pranks to try to bring up crew morale. This year we had a guy whining pretty bad, so it makes you want to do mean pranks. We don't normally tolerate whiners or quitters, because you have a choice to be out there, and one whiner can make it miserable for everyone else. We're all in it together.
Q: I really enjoyed the flour bombs. Will there be more this season and how did you come up with that?
A: My brother John came up with the idea off the old version of what people used to put in bags and set on fire. So he decided to try some flour, and it was absolutely the best thing I've ever seen in my life! Doesn't matter if they put it out fast or slow, it's still going to explode. I couldn't believe it worked so well. We actually did it to another boat, but I don't know if it will end up on the show. We did 10 flour bombs altogether, three on the buoy setup, and they thought that was all of them, but we had seven more waiting in the middle.
Q: How long do you see yourself crabbing, before you just stay at the ranch full time?
A: I'm hoping to maybe be off the deck by the time I'm 50, which will give me about another six years. But fishing is in my blood, so you never know.
Q: What strengths do you think crab fishing has brought to your career as a horseman, and vice versa?
A: Well you have to have patience, you have to never quit, and you have to learn how to deal with the psychology. You have to use psychology on the deck when the fishing is bad, and you have to do the same with horses: use psychology and your body language. Whether it's on a freezing deck, or on a ranch with a horse, you have to use psychology.
Q: What is the most important thing you have learned from crab fishing?
A: You never quit. You never give up. Because if you give up, you die where we work.
Q: Did you or any other captain ever think that Deadliest Catch would be such a hit with the fans?
A: I've shot a lot of home videos of crab fishing over the years, and I thought it was pretty boring! We weren't on the show for the first year, so I was able to watch it the first year and got hooked on it. It made it interesting, because I got to see my other buddies. Normally we just talk on the radio, but on the show I could see the stuff that happens on their boats and the way they tell their story. It's a lot better than home video footage. Way better!
